Sun Knight Order
" The sun's radiance all consuming. It can burn, it can blister. But it can give life an guide paths. A careful balance must be maintained. Failure to uphold the delicate scale can result in the corruption seen in our pasts. " ~ Dame Ignacia Honorem The Sun Knight Order is a Quel'dorei religious and military sect centered around the Sunwell and might of Belore as the center of faith and spiritual life. Comprising largely of Quel'dorei Sun Knights and Sun Priests, Sun Knights and Priests channel the Sunwell's combination of divine and arcane magics, as well as solar energy in a manner similar to the Sunwalkers of An'she. They are however, first and foremost sworn to the Sunwell which both empowers them and guides their ways, as do Quel'dorei traditions once widely revered under the pre-invasion priesthood of High Priest Vandellor. History Following the invasion of Quel'Thalas, Quel'dorei among the Alliance were uprooted from a society which had once deeply revered the Sunwell as a sacred place as well as a font of energy. Many displaced Quel'dorei took to service among the Order of the Silver Hand or the broader Church of the Holy Light. As time passed after the restoration of the Sunwell, a number of Quel'dorei turned their attention back to the Belore and the renewed Sunwell, giving up the title of a Paladin and taking on the charge of the first Sun Knights. With the blessing of the Bishop of Quel'Danas, the Sun Knights and Priests set began growing their nascent order, striving to revive the reverence of Belore and the Sunwell as the center of spiritual life. Sun Knights, Belore's Might Sworn to Belore and the Sunwell itself, these radiant, plated figures have taken up residence alongside the Silver Hand Chapter of Quel'Thalas. While the Silver Hand largely involves practices towards the Light, the Sun Knights serve its agent, Belore. What does it take? The prospective Sun Knight must retrace the path of the Vial in possession of Dath'Remar Sunstrider in reverent pilgrimage to the Sunwell. At Sunrise, mid-day and Sunset, the pilgrim will meditate where he or she stands upon the hardships of those footsteps they follow in. If the pilgrim is worthy, it will be realized by a great discovery from within. When the Sunwell is reached, the pilgrim must receive the blessing of their Ancestors. If successful, they are to undertake six trials of their own creation - six for the six rays the Sunwell used to bear. Six trials that illuminate the darkness. The Six Pillars of the Sun Faith - Faith in the balance. Faith in your actions, Faith in others. The Pillar of Faith dictates how the sun knights behave more so than others. Without faith they cannot have courage, without trusting and having faith in the balance, they can hesitate and put others at risk. Faith is the spiritual aspect of the balance. It takes care of ones soul as it journeys through life, and sustains it when it is forced to make difficult decisions. Order - Order goes hand in hand with Faith. Order is the militant face to the balance of the world. Order dictates that everything has a place, a purpose and a task to complete. The Pillar of Order teaches the sun knights that lawlessness, chaos and actions made without consideration of their effect creates an imbalance. Order stays the Sun Knight's blade, tongue, and boots when their decisions might otherwise go astray. Sometimes Order also prompts a Sun Knight to step out of what others see is a line in order to counter act a dangerous sway in a crowd, gathering, war, battle or to correct a perceived injustice. After all, The Sun Knight is responsible for all things the light touches and is not bound by a political string. Guardianship - Perhaps the oldest known pillar for the sun knights. The Pillar of Guardianship directly pertains to the Sunwell. The Sun Knight's primary duty will always be the protection of the source. They are expected to drop everything and go to the aid of the isle if it comes under attack, if it is threatened. or if something were to go out of balance with the magic within. It could be dangerous for Sun Knights all over to suddenly migrate north. So to keep the Sunwell safe and allow more experienced knights the chance to train, Aspiring Knights or those still seeking to better their martial skills in a contained environment will often take up guard duties around the isle instead of venturing abroad. Periodically, old and new members will rotate their stations throughout the year. Radiance - Being the Example. A Sun Knight's Radiance is directly linked to their image. Radiance is the pillar of Examples. That is to say, The Sun Knight must show the world the proper way to be. They embrace the passionate idea that not everyone can be perfectly still, polite, kind and considerate all of the time and that war and loss are staples to this world. They are expected to put forth the stalwart example of the below stated traits. And they are to do so in a manner that reflects upon the sun knights image appropriately. The outside world may at times call this image rough, crass, undisciplined and rude. However, The Sun Knight makes his or her decisions for the betterment of the world and is not concerned with the feelings of others on the subject. The world comes first, The Sun Knight knows this. People are often bad for Azeroth. Valor - The Courage of the World. The Pillar of Valor is the aspect of courage in the life of the Sun Knight. They must have courage to face great odds, make tough decisions and even sacrifice others and themselves for the good of the world, the balance and the Sunwell. Valor keeps the sun knight from the dismal attribute of cowardice. The Sun Knight, bolstered by his or her brothers will be the first into battle and the last one to leave it, shedding blood, tears and their fear of the mortal coil to get the results others might not be able to provide. Honor - The Sun Knight recognizes that it is a privilege to be what they are. Not a privilege given by mortals, but one gifted to them by the ultimate source. Sun Knights are often humbled before the Sunwell and will seek to always prove themselves worthy of the mantle. This is often done through battle, meditation, devotions and contributions to the causes that the Sun Knights are serving. The Sun Knights honor their teachers, honor their underlings, honor the people of the world that they protect and honor the Sunwell most of all. The Nature of Magic A'' comprehensive look at a Sun Knight's Power Reserve'' The Light and the Naaru The Knights recognize the importance of the light and its ability as it has manifested through the Naaru. They recognize the miracles it can enact upon the world as most have seen it happen first hand at the Redemption of the Sunwell. The Sacrifice of the Naa'ru Mu'ru weighs heavily upon them. It is referenced above in the Pillar of Valor. They believe that the Sunwell itself is a combined magic, featuring both the arcane aspects of the Sunwell combined with the Holy Aspects of the Pre-existing light gifted to it by the Naa'ru. The Sun Knight, once linked with the Sunwell has access to its power and can use it in a similar manner as a Silver Hand Paladin might. They can use it to heal, shield and bolster defenses. But they can also use it in a variety of ways to create offensive spells and incantations. Some Sun Knights believe that their ability to control, summon and utilize the light is directly related to their physical stamina and mental fortitude. This leads many sun knights to train for long hours, exhausting their bodies, minds, and souls. This stretches out their reserves and gets them used to carrying more and more power around. Sun Knights and The Sun While being devotees of the Sunwell allows the knights access to arcane and Holy abilities, they are also able to tap into the Sun's natural energy. These abilities are called Solar abilities. They are not the main focus of a Sun Knight's arsenal, but can be added in to supplement them in battle. The Sun Knight can call down spells such as Solar Flare [ Seen Below ] to singe their enemies with natural sun based attacks. This may also cause fires. Please don't light your cloaks aflame. The Sun Knights had a Division Perk within the Highguard. Solar Flare originally came from that Guild. Uniform and Combat Style Sun Knights and Priests wield many of the same Light-based abilities as more commonly known priests and paladins, as their practice is fundamentally one of the Light, however though the steadfast belief in Belore as the Light's agent some unique sun-based abilities emerge, most notably the ability to call solar flares onto enemies of the righteous and scour them with the very heat of Belore herself. Sun Knights dress in golden armor as displayed, representing the radiance of Belore. Weapons of choice are often determined by the Knight themselves, with some preferring swords and others maces though as the order continues to grow and gain more knights standardized practices are expected to emerge. While having no set power structure, the sun knights accept guidance in the form of their Matriarch and the Bishop of Quel'danas. This is done out of custom and respect for time served under the Sunwell's Radiance and positions held within the elven community of faith. In General, The Sun Knights will operate largely on their own, but they always seem to come together at the right time to do the right thing. Distinction from Blood Knight Order Many initially viewed Sun Knights as but a Quel'dorei variant of the Blood Knight Order, though several important distinctions exist even discounting past misdeeds and looking at the era after the repentance and forgiveness of Blood Knight Matriarch Lady Liadrin. While both orders place great emphasis on the Sunwell and its protection, Sun Knights never wielded the Light as a tool the way Blood Knights were once taught to, and thus no such practices linger; Sun Knights rely on faith in Belore and the Light alone. Important distinctions exist even with Blood Knights whom reconciled with the Light as Liadrin, or joined their order after the Sunwell's renewal. Blood Knights' spiritual focus is the Light itself and not its agent Belore, thus their arsenal is lacking of the solar magics called upon by Sun Knights, which hold much more similarity to the magics of Tauren Sunwalkers than those of a Blood Knight. Appearance is an evident distinction, with the golden armor of the Sun Knights a sharp contrast to the black and red of a Blood Knight. Sun Knights, through their reverence of Belore and the pillars of the original Sunwell, hold a connection to and desire to rekindle Quel'dorei religious practices of the past not generally shared by those identifying as children of blood. Prayers to the Sun To the Morning Sun We praise the sun. For it is a constant, and that every day it rises. For it gives us hope, warmth and guidance. For it delivers us from the darkest of places. In all things belore is the only constant. We awaken to our eternal vigil. May our day be lived in Guardianship, may we not tire. May our day be lived in Valor , may we not endure. May our day be lived in Honor, may we not be shameful. May our day be lived in Faith, may we never lose hope. May our day be lived in Order, may we always maintain the balance. May our day be lived in Radiance, may we be beacons to others. Anar’alah Belore, selama ashal’anore. [ By the light of the sun, justice for our people ] To the Mid Day Sun We praise the sun. We find the day to be fulfilling. Our backs are warm. We find the day to be enlightening. Our hearts are full. We find the day to be inspiring. Our bodies know purpose. In all things Belore gives us, we are sustained. May we continue our eternal vigil. May our fading hours be lived in Guardianship, We will not tire. May our fading hours be lived in Valor, We will endure. May our fading hours be lived in Honor, We will not be shamed. May our fading hours be lived in Faith, We will not lose hope. May our fading hours be lived in Order, We maintain the balance. May our fading hours be lived in Radiance, we are beacons to others. Anar’alah Belore, selama ashal’anore. To the Sun as it Fades We praise the sun. We have seen a day full of wonder. Our minds are in awe. We have seen a day full of battle. Our swords did not break. We have seen a day full of light. Our hearts know it to be true. In all things belore has shown us, we have not been lead astray. May we find rest in our eternal vigil. May our dark hours be lived in guardianship, Even in darkness. We will be present. May our dark hours be lived in Valor. Even in darkness. We are sustained. May our dark hours be lived in Honor. Even in darkness, We know belore watches. May our dark hours be lived in Faith. Even in darkness, We shall have hope. May our dark hours be lived in Order. Even in darkness, We must keep the balance. May our dark horus be lived in Radiance. Even in darkness we shine the brightest. Anar’alah Belore, selama ashal’anore. Membership Those interested in joining the Sun Knight Order are encouraged to send missive [ mail ] to the Matriarch. After an introductory interview and a few questions asked the aspiring knight will be invited to partake in a pilgrimage with other aspiring knights. - Ignacia can be reached in game by sending a mail to [ Honorem ] -If Available, The Bishop of Quel'danas will also be contacted to give blessing for the journey ahead. The Sun Knights are found in the following guilds: - The Highguard Known Sun Knights: - Ignacia Honorem [ Matriarch ] - Averagus Manawhisper [ Sun Knight ] - More will be added as they arrive. Category:High Elf Organizations Category:Religious Organizations Category:The Highguard Category:Quel'Thalas Organizations Category:Diocese of Quel'Danas